All posts by Todd Cochrane

Dog and Bone LockSmart Padlock

February 2, 2016CES 2016ces, CES2016, interview, security, videoTodd Cochrane

Dog and Bone are more usually known for their protective range of Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy smartphone cases, though here it’s a smartphone-controlled Bluetooth padlock that’s going to provided the protection. Jamie and Daniel find out more from Maria.

Dog and Bone’s LockSmart keyless Bluetooth padlock is exactly what it says: a padlock that uses Bluetooth communication from an app on a smartphone to unlock it. While that alone might be handy in some circumstances, the real trick is that with the app the owner can give unlocking privileges to other people. Say your bike’s padlocked to a railing in town and you want a friend to pick it up for you. You can give him (or her) the unlock permissions for the LockSmart, let him get the bike and once it’s returned, you can revoke the permissions. Definitely much handier than sharing keys or combinations. In addition, the app can manage multiple locks and receive notifications when locks are opened. Both iOS and Android devices are supported.

There’s a choice of two LockSmarts: on sale now is the larger version at US$89.95 with a mini version expected soon for US$69.95.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist.
Daniel J Lewis dares you to get started in podcasting with The Audacity to Podcast.

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AVG Protects Devices, Data and People

February 2, 2016CES 2016avg, ces, CES2016, interview, security, videoTodd Cochrane

As the online war with the bad guys escalates, the target is moving away from the devices to the people who own them. Jamie and Daniel look at this tactical shift with AVG‘s Todd Simpson.

AVG’s goal is to protect devices, data and people with a portfolio of products, from anti-virus to VPNs, parental controls to reputation protection. As more and more services come online, people are becoming more aware of the risks and securing their activities. Protecting people is a much harder problem, especially with the rise of the Internet of Things and many connected devices in every home. Things that used to be physical security, such as a door lock, become digital security problems once it’s a connected door lock that can be operated by a smartphone.

AVG’s cross-platform software is available direct from AVG and from the various app stores.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist. Daniel J Lewis dares you to get started in podcasting with The Audacity to Podcast.

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IBM’s Focus for the Future is the “Cognitive Era”

February 1, 2016CES 2016, Computersces, CES 2016, ibm, internet of thingsTodd Cochrane

Technology is improving in ways that not only allow for IOT, but also makes it easier for us to talk to our devices and appliances. IBM’s focus for the future is the “Cognitive Era” – a term they’ve coined and a market that they are going after. The overall goal is to improve the natural language understanding in IOT products.

Don and Scott spoke with Aylee H. Nielsen, who is a Social Media Execution Strategist for IBM. She talked about some of the partnerships that IBM has with different companies, including Under Armour, SoftBank, and Cognitoys. Some of the new products from those companies are IBM Watson powered devices.

Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and he holds classes at TheGadgetProfessor.com.

Scott Ertz is a software developer and video producer at F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Flicks Lets You Watch Movies Outdoors

February 1, 2016CES 2016, Videoces, CES 2016, Dashbon, Flicks, projectorTodd Cochrane

Have you ever wanted to watch movies outside during a backyard party or a camping trip? Dashbon, a start up company that makes mobile audio visual products, can turn the idea of outdoor movie watching into a reality. Flicks, the first product from Dashbon, is available now.

Marlo and Todd spoke with CEO of Dashbon, Andrew Lin, at CES 2016. Flicks is an all-in-one, Bluetooth enabled boombox that combines a high-fidelity audio system with a cutting edge 720p HD LED projector. Use it to stream your favorite tunes from your smartphone or to watch movies via HDMI from your smartphone or media devices.

Flicks comes in two models. The 140WH model has a 140Wh built-in lithium-ion battery, 4 hours of movie playtime, 28 hours of Bluetooth music playback, 28 days of standby time, and weighs 6.17 lb (2.8 Kg). The 280WH model has a 280Wh built-in lithium-ion battery, 8 hours of movie playtime, 56 hours of Bluetooth music playback, 56 days of standby time, and weighs 7.72 lb. (3.5 Kg).

Flicks 140WH is priced at $599. Flicks 280WH is priced at $699. Both are available now through Dashbon.com and also through Amazon.

Todd Aune is bridging the technology gap with The Elder Divide.

Marlo Anderson is rounding up the latest technology news at The Tech Ranch.

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Ventev Helps You Stay Charged

January 31, 2016Accessories, CES 2016ces, CES 2016, VentevTodd Cochrane

We all carry around, and rely on, our mobile devices. Will you have enough power to do what you need to do while you are out and about? Ventev has a line of mobile accessories that can ensure you won’t run out of juice.

Marlo and Todd spoke with Scott Franklin, Head of Marketing for Ventev Mobile at CES 2016. Ventev Mobile makes a line of mobile accessories, including back up batteries, wall chargers, car chargers, and a variety of different cables.

The powercell 6000c battery charger with lightning cable is a 6000mAh portable battery with built-in Apple Lightning cable and 1A USB. It has aluminum housing. It features an on/off button, LED battery indicator light, and provides 25 additional hours of talk time. The powercell 600c is priced at $69.99 and is available now.

Todd Aune is bridging the technology gap with The Elder Divide.

Marlo Anderson is rounding up the latest technology news at The Tech Ranch.

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Motion Capture with a StretchSense Glove

January 31, 2016CES 2016, Entertainmentces, CES2016, interview, motion capture, videoTodd Cochrane

The fantastic performances of Andy Serkis as Gollum brought the concept of motion capture to a wider public audience but the filming technique usually involves dark skin-tight leotards covered in reflective balls with multiple cameras and sensors gathering data in three dimensions. Unless it’s a multi-million dollar production or a top-end athlete wanting to hone their skills, it’s a lot of effort.

StretchSense have a much easier method in mind. By using lightweight stretch sensors with gloves or other form-fitting clothing, StretchSense can get real-time tracking and motion capture without expensive equipment. Jamie Davis chats to Ben O’Brien, CEO of StretchSense.

StretchSense make the soft precise sensors that can be embedded into gloves and clothing to measure the human body’s movement. With the sensors, the movement and motion of the wearer can be tracked for animation and gaming, with other applications in sports training, physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation. Within VR, it can provide presence, positioning hands and legs within the field of view as in reality. It’s all pretty cool stuff – expect products to come to market in the new few years.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist.

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Carloudy Head-Up Display Keeps Eyes Ahead

January 31, 2016Auto, CES 2016Auto, ces, CES2016, interview, videoTodd Cochrane

Head-up displays (HUD) used to be the preserve of fighter jets and James Bond, but Cognitive AI Technologies wants to bring the technology to an affordable level for everyone through an aftermarket, dash-mounted head-up display. Jamie and Daniel take a look at Carloudy with Javy Kong.

Apparently one-in-four car accidents involves the inappropriate use of cell phones while driving and though some uses are clearly plain stupid, like reading email, there are some genuinely useful apps, such as navigation. To remove the need to look away from the road ahead, Carloudy projects relevant information up onto the windscreen, including directions, speed and fuel consumption. A small unit roughly the size of a paperback book, the Carloudy sits on top of the dash and works in conjunction with a smartphone. Connecting wirelessly via Bluetooth to the phone, Carloudy accepts voice commands to show what the driver wants . With a battery life of around two weeks, there’s no need for extra wiring.

The Carloudy is available for pre-order via Kickstarter and if you get in quick, there are units available from US$179. Usual caveats apply regarding projects on Kickstarter.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist.
Daniel J Lewis dares you to get started in podcasting with The Audacity to Podcast.

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Panono Panoramic Camera

January 31, 2016CES 2016, Videocamera, ces, CES2016, interview, videoTodd Cochrane

Looking like a prop from a sci-fi movie, the Panono panoramic camera holds 36 digital cameras for total panoramic coverage. Best of all, it’s fun; want to take a panorama? Throw it in the air. Don and Todd find out more about the Panono from Jonas Pfeil, CEO and co-founder.

With all 36 cameras engaged in taking an element of the panorama, the Panono has an effective resolution of 108 megapixels, producing high contrast HDR pictures with incredible detail too. In addition to throwing the Panono in the air, photos can be taken manually for the ultimate selfie. Panoramas are viewed on-line or in the companion app within about ten minutes of taking a shot after the software has stitched the images together. If that’s not enough, the images can be viewed through a VR headset for an incredibly immersive experience.

The professional version is available now for US$1499 from Panono with a consumer model expected soon for US$599.

Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com.
Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives classes at TheGadgetProfessor.com.

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StoAmigo’s TackApp Gives You a Personal Cloud

January 31, 2016CES 2016, Computers, Gadgets, HomeTodd Cochrane

StoAmigo gives people a personal cloud with access to their files at home or back in the office from anywhere there’s an internet connection. Todd sits down on the sofa with Randy Creighton, VP Legal and Business Affairs at StoAmigo and talks through some of the background to the products and the key benefits of StoAmigo and the TackApp.

StoAmigo firmly believes in the benefits of the cloud but unlike many other cloud storage vendors, StoAmigo thinks that control and ownership of the data and files should remain with the individual, using storage that is already available. Wherever the information is held, it should still be possible to get to it from all over the world.

StoAmigo brings together storage from multiple sources into an “access anywhere” cloud and key to the ecosystem is StoAmigo’s TackApp which joins local device storage from PC, Mac or Android into the cloud. All the software is free to download so there’s no risk in trying it out.

As expected from a cloud service, files can be shared securely with other people too. StoAmigo takes this a little further than others, providing information on when files were accessed and whether they were viewed or downloaded. This gives even greater control and ownership over the data.

Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com, and special thanks to our CES partner, StoAmigo. Download and try out TackApp for free for Windows, Mac and Android from the links here.

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Syrp Makes Time-Lapse More Dynamic

January 30, 2016CES 2016, Videoces, CES 2016, SyrpTodd Cochrane

Syrp does motion control for time-lapse. Their consumer aimed products speed up the process of making time-lapse video and and also makes it easy for people to use. Anyone who can take a good nature photo can easily turn that into a time-lapse movie.

Jamie and Daniel spoke with Syrp Director Chris Thomson at CES 2016. Chris demonstrated how to use Syrp’s Genie mini and the app that connects to it. The Genie mini is an extremely easy-to-use device for motion time-lapse or video.

Plug the Genie mini into your DSLR camera, or use it on your GoPro. It will rotate and periodically take photos. At the end of the sequence, you compile those photos into a motion time-lapse. The device is controlled by an app that is available for both iOS and Android. The Genie mini is available now for $249.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly which can be found at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic, and health journalist.

Daniel J Lewis dares you to get started in podcasting with The Audacity to Podcast.

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